Unitarian Church (Burlington, Vermont) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Unitarian Universalist Meeting House (Burlington, Vermont)
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Unitarian Universalist Meeting House at the top of Church Street
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 152 Pearl Street, Burlington, Vermont |
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| Built | 1816 |
| Architect | Peter Banner (with possible assistance from Charles Bulfinch) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Part of | Head of Church Street Historic District (ID74000207) |
| Added to NRHP | July 15, 1974 |
The Unitarian Universalist Meeting House is a very old and important building in Burlington, Vermont. It was built way back in 1816. This makes it the oldest church still standing that was built by the first settlers in Burlington!
You can find this historic building on Pearl Street, right where it meets the Church Street Marketplace. It's part of a special area called the "Head of Church Street" Historic District. This district also includes the Masonic Temple and the Richardson Building. Because of its history, the Meeting House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 15, 1974.
Today, the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House is home to the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington. This group is part of a larger organization called the Unitarian Universalist Association.
A Look Back in Time
The story of this church began in Burlington, Vermont on February 23, 1805. It was first part of a larger church group called the Congregational church. But in 1810, the group split into two different parts.
One part became the Trinitarian Society. They believed in the doctrine of the Trinity, which is a core idea in many Christian faiths. The other part became the Unitarian Society. They had different beliefs and did not follow the Trinity doctrine.
The Unitarian church started building its own home around May 1, 1816. It took about seven months to finish the building. The whole project cost about $23,000. This price included a clock, a bell, and even an organ! The organ was brought all the way from Boston by sleigh.
In December 1816, the church sold the seats on its lower floor. They made over $21,000 from these sales! The church was officially opened and dedicated on January 9, 1817. A newspaper from that time described the church as being 91 feet long and 60 feet wide. Its tall steeple reached 170 feet into the sky.
The Bell and the Steeple
In 1910, a cool discovery was made about the church's original bell. A researcher from Boston found out that the bell was made by a famous person: Paul Revere! He cast the bell on October 13, 1816. This bell was quite heavy, weighing about 1,286 pounds! It was sold to the town of Burlington for $592.65.
The original bell was later recast in 1828. Then, sometime in the 1900s, it was replaced because it had developed a crack.
The church's steeple has also had its own adventures. In August 1954, lightning struck the steeple. No one knew it at the time, but this strike caused a lot of damage over the next 16 months. By 1956, it was clear the steeple was leaning and had to be taken down.
It took about six weeks to carefully remove the steeple. Special workers called Steeplejacks helped save the windows, the bell, and some metal pieces. A new steeple was built and finished in September 1958. The church pastor at the time, Rev. Robert S. Miller, said that many people helped pay for the new steeple. They raised $55,000, and people from almost all faiths contributed!
Images for kids
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Oblique view of the church, 2013
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View of the church from the Church Street Marketplace, 2004
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Vintage postcard of the church, circa 1930-45
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Historic wayfinding signage at the Unitarian Church
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